Hujambo?

Jina langu Kylie. Mimi ni mwamerican, mimi ni mwanafunzi. I can't say too much in Kiswahili yet, but I'm off to a good start!Dr. Bryceson asked me last night about my first impressions of Tanzania, and I responded by saying that I didn't really find it very different from home. So far, all of us have done most everything together, and most of the people we have met here are helpful and friendly. The feeling of family is comforting being so far away from my own. My first impressions of Tanzania haven't been quite as exotic as the U.S. media portrays. In fact, we've seen a lot of wealth so far. The drive to White Sand was lined with big white houses, and the drive out was lined with smaller, older ones built fairly close together. I'm only beginning to understand the magnitude of the gap between the rich and poor here. Where I live at home, most of the neighborhoods are middle-class, buried in suburbia where the differences in living are relatively small. So far, my experience here has been pretty similar to traveling in the U.S. Most of the things we have done up to this point on the May Experience have been touristy--oceanfront resorts, American toilets, a spice tour, market shopping, and playing in the ocean. It's clear that our experience here is very different from other peoples, but it's definitely a smooth start to a grand adventure. (Also, the Tanzanian toilets aren't as bad as I thought they would be.)

My favorite activity so far has actually been a lecture. It's encouraging to feel like a little more than a tourist. Narrimon Jiddawi, a professor at the Marine Institute of Zanzibar, spoke to us about women's culture on Zanzibar and the evolving ways women have made a living for themselves. Her passion for the emerging activities in women's empowerment here are inspiring. The jewelry making project is the most recent development. Women farm pearl oysters and use the shells to make jewelry. The culture pulls from Islamic roots, which means the women participating in these activities are usually divorced, and the others receive permission from their husbands. Learning which women choose to participate and why would be fascinating--maybe I will learn in my research!

It's a beautiful place and there's so much to learn here. More to come soon.

Kwa Heri!